In a night of wrestling, Lucha Underground delivered with its first night of Ultima Lucha. The show opened with a killer Falls Count Anywhere match between The Mac and “The Machine” known as Cage, with weapons placed throughout the temple. It followed up with a Tornado Trios Tag Team championship match pitting the defending champions Son of Havoc, Ivelisse, and Angélico vs The Disciples of Death. And the night finished off with Drago and Hernandez in a “Believers’ Backlash”: Think of a typical lumberjack match, but with fans holding leather straps and wailing on Hernandez whenever he was outside the ring.

Ultima Lucha:Night One brought a sense of finality between The Mac and Cage, and Drago and Hernandez storylines; and a twist to the trios title scene. It’s fantastic exactly what a pay-per-view should be, a series of matches culminating in a big payoff. And next week, Ultima Luchawill conclude in a 2-hour season finale with Prince Puma defending the Lucha Underground championship against Mil Muertes.

The concept of a wrestling show running on seasons is unheard of because it has always been an all-year-round gig with no off-seasons (as WWE has phrased). Even Steve Austin on The Steve Austin Show was perplexed because he believes that the product should be on every week so as not to run the risk of losing its audience. Plus it gives the boys a steady paycheck.

As a wrestling addict, the thought of not seeing Lucha Underground for the next couple of months is devastating. But it does allow a reprieve for the writers to come up with more storylines to keep the product fresh. Next season it is rumored that ECW-WCW-WWE famed Rey Mysterio, Jr., will compete in the temple. We’ve seen his battles with Johnny Mundo (John Morrison) and Alberto El Patron (Alberto Del Rio) in WWE; imagine Rey paired up against King Cuerno, Cage or Mil Muertes?

Lucha Underground, to me, is the best of both worlds: it has phenomenal wrestling and entertaining storylines. Although some of the storylines are a little out there, meaning that you kind of have to give in to the supernatural. But if fans have been able to follow Paul Bearer controlling The Undertaker with a mystical urn, then Catrina controlling Mil Muertes, and the Disciples of Death, with a mystical stone shouldn’t be that big of a leap of faith.

Again, Ultima Luchawill culminate on Wednesday, August 5. The silent champion Prince Puma will indeed be the underdog going into his title defense. Throughout the whole season of Lucha Underground, Puma, as the inaugural champion, has defended it against the likes of Cage, King Cuerno, Johnny Mundo, Drago, Hernandez, and Chavo Guerrero. But Mil Muertes is definitely his gravest challenge to date. And with his mentor Konan locked away in Mil’s coffin, Puma will be alone. And if the Trios championship match from Night One has shown us, the odds are against you when Catrina is around.

Will Lucha Underground end its season with a new champion, or will Prince Puma prove why he is the temple’s greatest warrior?

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About the blogger: I love pro wrestling and all of its layers of athleticism and entertainment. I also love to read and write, which is why, hopefully, WrestlingTimesX will come across as different, in a better way, than anything else that you read on the web. My mantra on wrestling, in any state, is to love it then, now, and forever.

Instead of ‘shoot promos’, everyone is calling it ‘pipe bombs’. And at the Allstate Arena, in the hometown of the innovator of ‘pipe bombs’, Paul Heyman dropped a pipe bomb about CM Punk.

“I came here tonight to tell the story of a Paul Heyman Guy,” began Heyman so poignantly after coming out to CM Punk’s entrance music. Thanks, Paulie, but we own the DVD, we already know the back story of CM Punk, and how the Authority, the family that monopolized the wrestling industry, had no interest in a small, tattooed wrestler from the indies.

“They didn’t want him in WWE from day one, and they don’t want him in WWE, right now.”

We all know CM Punk changed the game after dropping the first-ever pipe bomb back in 2011. Wrestling fans everywhere were shocked: The new “Austin 3:16”! The Genesis of professional wrestling is here! Change is upon us! And most importantly… Ice Cream Bars for all.

CM Punk became an overnight sensation, he was the most must-see pro wrestler in the industry. Everyone wanted to be like CM Punk. He was often imitated, but obviously never duplicated. The man spoke his mind and went by the beat of a different drum. His popularity among fans was undeniable, to the point that he took the WWE championship and ran with it to a historic 434 day-reign.

Unfortunately, WWE brass never took Punk seriously as their WWE champion, always booked in the co-main event of every pay-per-view. Second always to the Golden boy, John Cena. Then after losing to The Undertaker and Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania and SummerSlam, respectively, and after the elimination from the Royal Rumble match, an angle that was gearing towards Punk vs Hunter II at WrestleMania, Punker had enough.

CM Punk hadn’t been mentioned on WWE TV since the Royal Rumble, and the fans cheers were ignored until Chicago.

Shy-Town was guaranteed to cause a frenzy if they didn’t have their hero CM Punk gallantly return to the squared circle in time for WrestleMania. Chicago could have hijacked Monday Night RAW, but it was coaxed thanks to Paul Heyman, and the bold leadership of Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

It was Vince who felt it best to take the situation head on and address the absence of CM Punk. But only a mad scientist could spin the travesty of a WWE devoid of CM Punk, and weave it into an awesome WrestleMania promo.

We’ve all been blaming WWE for their faulty direction; seeing as our ‘Mania 30 main event is still Batista vs Randy Orton, we are justified at pinning the blame on them. But how mad could we actually be with WWE? They are giving us Daniel Bryan in a main storyline; they are giving talent signed from the indies like Cesaro, Rollins, Ambrose, Neville, Paige, and Emma a WWE canvas to perform in.

Paul Heyman placed the blame on all of us for taking Punk away from him. If it hadn’t been for our selfishness, Punk wouldn’t have lost his way. Heyman didn’t just place blame on us, but he also placed the blame on The Undertaker.

Punk couldn’t beat the Streak last year, and it was that match Heyman cites as the start of Punk’s downward spiral. If you recall, Punk took a few weeks off after WrestleMania to get his priorities in check. Now Heyman wants vindication from Undertaker and wants The Streak conquered by ‘The Beat Incarnate” Brock Lesnar.

How amazing is that train of logic? Heyman’s pipe bomb was brilliant because it addressed the “gorilla in the room” and it made for a compelling build for the WrestleMania match he’s a part of… Taker vs Lesnar. And if anyone has the nerve to state that Heyman was out of line for “using” CM Punk as a means to build heat for Brock’s match against Taker; just remember that Punk used the passing of Paul Bearer to gain heat for his shot at The Streak.

Congratulations to the late, great Paul Bearer on being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2014. The ceremony will be LIVE on the WWE Network, so be sure to check it out.

Answer the Question: What did you think of Paul Heyman’s pipe bomb?

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Did anyone else know that there was an Impact Wrestling pay-per-view tonight? It seems to be the case every month. Is it lack of promotion? Or lack of fans? Tonight is not only the ninth anniversary for TNA Entertainment LLC, (Yup, Wrestling Matters, my ass) but the first PPV under the Impact Wrestling banner. The significance of “Slammiversary” (only in professional wrestling…) has heavily decreased since The Hogan-Bischoff Regime. And it seems lately that everyone points the blame at these guys, but there’s a reason why we do it. Not only has the six-sided ring since been eliminated, but Slammiversary has since ceased hosting the King of the Mountain Match. With both Jeff Jarrett and Kurt Angle each holding two victories as King of the Mountain, wouldn’t it have made sense for them to compete in another KoM match to determine the True King of the Mountain? Just saying.

With that said, do you even know who’s on the card? Well, you came to the right place because Wrestling Times X proudly presents: “What to Expect?” — Rants and listings for tonight’s Impact Wrestling Slammiversary IX.

Mr. Anderson finally has his one-on-one shot for the TNA World Championship against Sting. Having lost the belt back at Against All Odds, Mr. Anderson has been demanding his rematch. Can Mr. Anderson once again realize his dreams and become the new TNA World Heavyweight Champion? Or will Sting sneak by with another under-ten-minute title defense? The Bottom Line: Sting may be the Icon, but at 52, it is time for Sting to pass the torch. But what about his promise to eliminate the cancer that is the Hogan-Bischoff Regime? He doesn’t need to be the World Champion to do what he does best: lie in wait in the rafters above, and strike them down with his trusty baseball bat.

Kurt Angle and Jeff Jarrett, after six months, will finally end their feud tonight. Finally, the two will square off in the ring one-on-one without the distractions from the titillating Karen Jarrett. Jarrett has taken Kurt’s ex-wife, his kids, he’s taken pretty much everything except for Kurt’s prized possession – his Olympic Gold Medal. Angle won his gold medal in the heavyweight (90–100 kg; 198–220 lb) weight class despite his neck injury, defeating the Iranian Abbas Jadidi. He is the only Olympic Gold Medalist is all of professional wrestling. It is what has sparked and defined his professional wrestling career. Tonight, will Jeff Jarrett earn possession of the gold, or will Kurt Angle finally score the long-awaited pinfall victory?

Eric Bischoff has been on a vendetta to destroy the X-Division, which he started by forcing Kazarian to defend the X-Division belt against “The Monster” Abyss. Now in possession of the title, Abyss has renamed it the X-treme Championship instead of destroying the belt. Now a student of The Art of War, Abyss believes that it is better to hold on to the title as a reminder to the X-Division of what they lost. Brian Kendrick has been on a journey to reignite the passion that was once the X-Division. Tonight, Abyss has allowed for both Kazarian and Kendrick to challenge for the belt in a Triple-Threat Match.

The British Invasion (Brutus Magnus and Douglas Williams) look to become two-time TNA World Tag Team Champions as they face the team of Beer Money’s James Storm and Motor City Machine Guns’ Alex Shelley for the belts. With Robert Roode sidelined with a shoulder injury, and Alex Shelley without his partner Chris Sabin (also sidelined) the pact between former enemies were made out of respect for each other and for the honor of defending the TNA World Tag Team Titles. But from what was showcased in their match against Mexican America, “Gun Money” lack the continuity that is shared between tag team partners. Can Gun Money manage to retain the gold for Beer Money, or will British Invasion take their regal spot in Impact Wrestling?

Angelina Love w/Winter will challenge Mickie James for the Knockouts Championship. Love, holding a pinfall victory over Mickie James in tag team action, could possibly be Mickie’s greatest opponent to date because of her zombie-like lack of emotions. Love cannot feel pain, sorrow, or remorse, which means that Mickie will be unable to psych-out her opponent. Unless… Winter does seem to have a mystical sense of control over Angelina’s mind, much like Paul Bearer had on The Undertaker. Now, if Mickie were to eliminate Winter from ringside, would that mean that Angelina would weaken? This could very well be Mickie’s ticket towards retaining her title.

Bully Ray and AJ Styles meet in a Last Man Standing Match. When it comes to brute strength, and an undeniable Extreme background from the Bingo Halls of ECW, Bully Ray has the utmost advantage when it comes to these type of matches. But let’s not forget that AJ Styles holds a hardcore victory over Tommy Dreamer with a fork in the eye, and retains a year of experience under the tutelage of “The Dirtiest Player in the Game” Ric Flair. Can Styles find redemption for Bully Ray powerbombing him off the entrance ramp, or will Ray continue dominating the Impact Wrestling Zone?

Also taking place at Slammiversary: Samoa Joe sets out to end the winning streak of Crimson, and Matt Morgan takes on Scott Steiner.

And that my friends is a crash course of what to expect from tonight’s Impact Wrestling Slammiversary IX pay-per-view. Whether or not you decide to drop this week’s paycheck, or skip it, come back tomorrow (or the day after that) for The Final Thoughts Post with all the rants of the event.

Until next time: Remember to subscribe, tell a friend, phone a friend, add Wrestling Times X to your web browsers’ favorites on your computer and your mobile devices. Also, please Share this and all posts. Follow me on Twitter @WrestlingTimesX for quick rants, which I will be too lazy to post on this site. Oh, and RT everything I say because it’s golden!

The 2.21.11 vignettes of a dark figure walking through the rain in a full-length trench coat have created radical speculation over a certain Icon. Would-be insiders staked their claim that this was none other than Sting, and that he was well on his way to WWE to challenge The Undertaker for his WrestleMania Streak.

Furthermore, others have remarked the similarity of 2.21.11 to a video package of Sting’s WCW return at Starrcade ’97. Although, the Starrcade vignette reintroduced Sting’s vengeful side going into his match with Hollywood Hulk Hogan, while 2.21.11 exhibits the figure walking into a sequestered cabin. Why would Sting need seclusion?

And why 2.21.11? Aside from it being the Raw after The Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, what significance does this date hold? Or what if it’s not the date, but the day that carries significance? 21 days…? 21 years….?

21 years ago, Sting was the NWA World Heavyweight Champion in WCW. On September 1, 1990, Sting defeated a wrestler by the name of Mean Mark. But to everyone else, Mark would become known as The Undertaker

Two months after his match with Sting (also his final match in WCW), The Deadman debuted in WWF/E, while Sting remained a prominent fixture in WCW. That was up until WWE purchased WCW, in which Sting chose not to partake in Vince’s company.”After all the years that I put into wrestling up to that point, it just seemed like a gamble to me. I didn’t trust how I would be used.”

A second vignette was aired this week featuring the lyrics of Johnny Cash, “There ain’t no grave (Can Hold My Body Down).” Now, these lyrics indicate a vengeful promise. The grave can signify WWE burying WCW through its Invasion Angle, and Sting wanting retribution for the company he wrestled in for so many years. And if he has finally decided to come to Vince’s company, it may possibly be to destroy the main attraction to its biggest spectacle of the year, The Undertaker’s Undefeated Streak.

Then again, the only notable wrestler known for wearing a trench coat that would require seclusion before fulfilling his vengeance is The Undertaker. The Undertaker has been buried alive many times, with no grave being able to hold his un-dead body down. With WrestleMania hastily approaching, Taker has a Streak to defend. The question is, against who?

Kane put him in a vegetative state, took his Holy Grail, turned Paul Bearer against him, and ultimately buried him alive. Wade Barrett and The Nexus, for reasons unknown even to Kane, aided in weakening Taker before his burial.

However, after losing in a Last Man Standing match to Edge, Kane’s role as the tormentor for Friday Night Smackdown has subsided. Wade Barrett is no longer the leader of The Nexus, but a member of The Corre. Too much has occurred in WWE since Taker’s absence.

Who’s left for Taker to face? With Triple-H most likely inducting Shawn Michaels into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2011, The Game could have a score to settle with The Phenom, because after all, it was Taker who ended Michaels’ career.

So who’s in the vignette, Sting or Taker? The latter of the two seems more probable as Taker is expected to come through in time for ‘Mania. In addition, prior to the vignette, WWE advertised in TV spots (through the Fresno Arena) that The Undertaker would be appearing at the Raw show.

Then again, this may be a stretch but, Sting is billed from Venice Beach, California, and Raw 2.21.11 takes places in Fresno, California. And another stretch, only because Sting wrestling in WrestleMania in Atlanta, Georgia, the birthplace of World Championship Wrestling would be of historic value, what if Sting was the perpetrator behind The Nexus attacking Taker? We all heard David Otunga once threaten Barrett about telling the world why they helped Kane, and Barrett made sure to keep Otunga quiet. What if the truth is that Sting wanted Taker to be in a weakened state come WrestleMania, so when he finally ends the Streak, he can prove that WCW wrestlers were not peons.

The landscape of the WWE changed drastically last night at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. Champions retained but evil agendas were accomplished. The two most prominent changes were John Cena joining The Nexus, and Paul Bearer siding with Kane.

Aside from WWE screwing up by airing a television spot for its next PPV, WWE Bragging Rights, which featured The Nexus, it did not appear that the group would disband so easily. WWE is clearly pushing Nexus as one of the most important factions in the company’s history. The Chairman of WWE, Mr. McMahon, even sacrificed himself in an angle to push the Nexus even further. Nexus even headlined the majority of SmackDown’s Live debut on the ScyFy network, they have interfered in possibly every main-event, including participating in the main-events in the previous four pay-per-views, what would make people think that John Cena would be able to silence the faction forever?

The “fan-interference” angle has not been used in WWE since SummerSlam 2009, when Brett DiBiase caused a distraction in a WWE Heavyweight title match between John Cena and Randy Orton. The fans in question may have something to do with David Otunga‘s plan to help Nexus leader Wade Barrett without getting him disqualified. The first fan to jump into the ring, whose face was covered for the most part, was a well-built caucasian male, while the other who attacked John Cena was a bearded husky caucasian male. With that said, The Nexus may have recruited both Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris to the Nexus band. And with John Cena now obligated to join, Nexus would now have brought its membership back to eight.

Out of the depths of hell, Paul Bearer has returned from the dead to aid The Undertaker… for the most part. Paul Bearer was considered the ray of hope, as he returned when Undertaker was most vulnerable after suffering a loss to Kane at Night of Champions. But has everyone forgotten what Taker did to Paul Bearer? He buried him in a cement casket match. Unlike when Paul Bearer returned to stand by UT at WrestleMania XX, Hell in a Cell was the birth place of Kane. So in the twenty-first Hell in a Cell match, Paul Bearer recreated the treason on 1997. Kane was always The Father of Destruction’s Favorite Son…